The number of television channels available to consumers continues to increase. With the advent of satellite television, consumers can now access television stations that are broadcast from around the world. In addition, the number of locally produced television broadcasts continues to grow along with the population.
With so many options available, the average consumer can experience great difficulty in locating the desired television program or station. If the consumer knows the channel number associated with the program they desire to watch, they may be able to quickly navigate to it using the numeric keys on the remote control. Because of the large number of television stations available, it has become more difficult for the television viewer to remember all the television channel numbers that they enjoy watching. In addition, many consumers prefer to switch channels rapidly when looking for their desired television program or station. This is commonly known as channel surfing.
Many consumers enjoy channel surfing as part of regular television viewing. It is often frustrating for channel surfers when the remote control is unable to navigate between television channels at their desired speed. For this reason, a consumer may desire a remote control capable of more rapidly switching between channels.